GALAXY XIII/HORIZONS-1

Mission Profile

Sea Launch's reliable Zenit-3SL rocket lifted the 4090 kg (9081 lb) Galaxy XIII/Horizons-1 satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit, with the spacecraft separating from the Block DM-SL upper stage about 4000 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, west of Gabon, Africa. The launch originated from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned on the Equator at 154 degrees West Longitude. Two and a half minutes after liftoff, the first stage separated and, a minute later, the payload fairing jettisoned. About five minutes later, the second stage separated from the Block DM-SL upper stage. After the first of two burns of the Block DM-SL, the spacecraft coasted for 30 minutes. Following this coast period, the Block DM-SL made a second burn and then separated from the spacecraft about 11 minutes later. A ground station in Fucino, Italy, acquired the first signal from the spacecraft shortly after separation. This mission used a standard GTO trajectory, which places the payload into a higher energy state. After the payload circularized itself at geosynchronous orbit altitude, the spacecraft performed a series of maneuvers over several days to place the spacecraft into its final position in geostationary orbit at 127 degrees West Longitude.